Lavender Garden

Set against the mountain of Hok Tau (Fanling), occupying an area of 160,000 sq. ft., Lavender Garden is a place where you can relax and enjoy the countryside, escape from the busy city life with all modern conveniences at hand. The best season to see Lavender is in Autumn and Winter, when the weather is dry and cold.

Activities:

1. Barbecue - BBQ areas are fully equipped with tables, chairs and canopy for shade. Food and drinks can be conveniently purchased at the park. And you don't have to worry about setting up the fire, they'll do everything for you, full service.
2. Animals feeding - There are different varieties of turtle, including a 15kg Alligator Snapping Turtle. They also have goats & koi carp fishes that you can feed
3. Make your Own Candle - You can create your very own candles. Choose a glass and fill it with colourful stones, fill it with melted wax.
4. Shopping - There's a mini market selling locally produced snacks and dried foods, organic fresh vegetables, and Chinese tea. They also carry a wide range of flowers and herbs that are perfect for your home.

Lavender Garden
Address: DD76 Lot 655 Hok Tau Road, Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2674 7822
Fax: +(852) 2674 6361
Email: info@lavendergarden.com.hk
Entrance Fee: HK$5/person (under 3 years old free of charge)
Opening Hour: Mon-Fri 10:00-19:00 / Sat, Sun, Holidays 10:00-22:00

Directions: Take MTR train to Fanling station. From there, take the 52B (Hok Tau) minibus, which runs at 20 minute intervals. (The last bus depart at 20:20) Alight the minibus before it turns right at the entry to Hok Tau Village. Walk straight along Hok Tau Road for a couple of minutes and you will see LAVENDER GARDEN on your left.

Remarks: Outside food & drinks are nor allowed in the garden

Fresh Oyster @ Lau Fau Shan

Famed for its oyster farms and seafood restaurants, Lau Fau Shan (流浮山) is recognised as an important part of Hong Kong's heritage. It is where some of the earliest settlers lived.

This small fishing village is located on Deep Bay (Western New Territories), near Tin Shui Wai and facing Shekou in Shenzhen. About 100 tons of oysters were harvested every year, some for consumption in Hong Kong restaurants and some for export to neighboring countries. Little remains of this today due to pollutin. However the village with its excellent seafood restaurants, now become a tourist attraction for local foodies, especially during weekends and holidays. You can have a truly delicious seafood meal here without much fear of being ripped off. The coastline sunset scene is breathtaking. You can also see a 1500-year-old temple founded by the legendary monk Pui To, who is said to have landed on this coast in a wooden tub.

After you alight from the minibus, take a walk through Ching Tai Street (the only street in Lau Fau Shan) to the shore. You'll pass through a a stretch of seafood restaurants and fishmongers' stalls selling dried seafood. Here, you can buy excellent oyster sauce made by fresh oysters, as well as dried scallops, dried oysters, dried prawn, dried shrimp eggs, salty fish, etc. With the same quality, prices are usually cheaper than shops in the city.


How to get there: Take MTR to Tai Po Market station. Walk to the minibus terminal on Tai Fung Street. Take #33 maxicab, the ride takes around 20 mins.
Warnings: traffic congestion during weekends and public holidays.

Free WiFi HotSpots in Hong Kong

Enjoy free surfing at government Wi-Fi locations. This is for the general public, people can surf the web freely for business, study, leisure or accessing government services whenever they visit the designated Government premises. Foreign visitors can enjoy Internet access at the designated tourist spots.

You may go to GovWiFi Locator for more details about the GovWiFi locations.

Causeway Bay
- World Trade Centre (shopping and restaurant area)
- KFC - G/F, 40 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay

Central
- International Finance Centre
- Kosmo Coffee, corner of D'Aguilar and Wellington Streets, Lan Kwai Fong
- Island Shangri-La Hotel (lobby and function rooms), Pacific Place
- Honolulu Coffee Shop, No. 33 Stanley Street
- Central Fortress shop underground (near the entertaiment exit)
- stand outside the Central estalator (near Central Market)

Sheung Wan / Western District
- Shun Tak Centre
- on the street near to Wing On Department Store

Wan Chai
- Zambra Coffee, 239 Jaffe Road
- G/F & 1/F, Wan Chai Computer Centre
- outside M722 bus stop in Lockart Road

Kowloon Tong
- Festival Walk Shopping Center

Tsim Sha Tsui
- Crema Coffee, G36 Peninsula Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui East
- The Kowloon Hotel Hong Kong (all guest rooms, retaurants and bar)
- Kowloon Shangri-La (lobby), Tsim Sha Tsui East
- China Ferry Terminal & Shopping Centre

Discovery Bay
- Discovery Bay Resident Club
- Discovery Bay Office Centre (business centre)
- Club Siena (reading room)
- Discovery Bay Piers (waiting area)
- Discovery Bay Piazza (all outdoor sitting area)

Fitting Model Scam

To all female friends and visitors,

Beaware of scam when walking alone in crowded area in Hong Kong, particularly in Tsim Sha Tsui. A friend of mine was stopped by a woman on Grenville Road, Tsimshatsui one afternoon and asked what size She was and whether She's interested to be a fitting model.

Another friend of mine had similar experience at the same spot. She was walking along Nathan Road when going to the Baptist Chinese Medicine Clinic which is on Humphreys Avenue and passed by Cameron Road. She came across a middle aged woman, who approached her and asked what size her jacket was. The woman started saying "Excuse me" and tried to grasp her arm.

Bar Hopping

Lan Kwai Fong - the most popular place for drinking and dining with a vibrant mixture of different cultures.

LKF (Lan Kwai Fong in short) is not merely a place for pubs and discos. It boasts such a range of cuisine: from Italian to Mediterranean; from Japanese to Thai and of course Chinese. The cobbled streets around LKF burst into life after dark. Prices can comparatively high in this area.

How to get there: Central MTR exit D1, turn right. Turn right on Queens Road Central. Turn left and cross the traffic light on D'Aguilar Street. Walk up hill for 2-5 mins.
Dress Code: Casual Chic.

Live Jazz @ Peel Fresco Music Lounge

The home of excellent live jazz music in the heart of Soho. This new small bar became a hot gathering places for local musicians. Besides hosting the Hong Kong Jazz festival, there's regular jamming session, which really spice up the live music scene in Hong Kong. Indie band now have a place to go! Drinks are at happy hour price throughout the night for club members. You can also get a little snack for bite at the bar if you feel hungry.

Upcoming Events (Dec 1 - Dec 7):
Monday: Chillin' and illin'
Tuesday: Open Mic
Wednesday: Mocarsky Organ Trio
Thursday: Jaso Mascarenhas Latin Jazz
Friday: Holiday Concert Start, Levi, Pao, Lo, Lee, Harris
Saturday: Ho & Taurus Fusion
Sunday: Chill Out Night @ Fresco

Peel Fresco Music Lounge
Address: 49 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2540 2046
Email: info@peelfresco.com
Opening Hours: 17:00 till late
Directions: take MTR to Central Station, take exit D. Turn right on Queens Road Central, walk straight, then take the escalator to Hollywood Road. From Hollywood Road, keep walking towards Sheung Wan's direction. After passing a Chinese herbal tea shop, you'll see Peel Street. Turn left onto Peel street, the bar is on your right handside. Opposit to "Joyce is not here".

Nothern China Whole Lamb Feast

A new Shandong Restaurant which specialised in lamb dishes. Claimed to hire 2 top chefs from Shangdong, though the food they offer doesn't look like Shandongnese cuisine at all, but food was good for Hongkongers taste.

Angus Beef Hot Pot Buffet
Mon-Fri HK$88/pax / Sat, Saun & Holiday HK$98/pax
late dinner after 8:30pm: HK$20 cheaper per person


Whole Lamb Feast
HK$1,180/12 persons
HK$630/6 persons

A festival type 13-Course full dinner, lamb / meat lovers cannot miss.

• Jasmine Smoke Vegetarian Goose
• Sesame Celery
• Garlic Cucumber & Tomatoes Salad
• Amber Lamb
• Fried Fish & Lamb with Spring Onion, Shangdong style
• Lamb Soup
• Grilled King Prawn
• Stewed Lamb Hot Pot
• Mushroom with mixed Vegetables
• Steamed Lamb Dumplings (2 styles)
• Dessert: Double Boiled White Fungus & Pear with Rock Sugar
  

Star of Shandong Restaurant
Address: Shop No 23, L9 Megabox, Enterprise Square Five, 38 Wang Chiu Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2359 0188

Salsa, Live Band, Chocolate Fountain, Wine Bar

Swindlers offers a different take from other Wanchai bars. Decorated in lush velvet, Victorian-style golden chandelier-lamps with an elongated mirror hanging above, the opulent décor is befitting for 1940’s swindlers! This live music winebar carries a range of whites, reds, champagnes and beers.

Live music resident bands singing covers of classic rock numbers, latest hits, alternative, R&B and soul. 2 bands per night from 9:30pm. They're very good!

Sizzle on the dance floor to learn Salsa. Every Thursday between 9 and 10pm, free Quick Step dance class. From 10pm onwards Salsa party.

Happy Hour: Daily 5pm – 9:30pm, drinks at special prices.

Ladies Night: Wednesday from 9:30pm. Free standard drinks for ladies.

Ladies Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 5pm – 9:30pm. Unlimited Prosecco and snack buffet $98

Jam Night: Jam with our bands. Every Sunday, 9:30pm -2am

Live Bands: Sunday - Tuesday 9.30pm - 3am, Wednesday - Saturday 9.30pm - 4am

Complimentary Antipasto & Chocolate Fountain: 5pm - 9.30pm Monday to Friday

Swindlers
Address: Shop B, 33 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Phone: +(852) 2520 5101
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday 5pm till late

How to get there: Wanchai MTR Exit C, turn left walk along Lockhart Road for 5-10 mins. Cross the road after 2nd traffic light.

Local SIM card for your mobile

Hong Kong is using GSM/PCS system. So, if your mobile support either of this system and haven't on lock, you can buy a prepaid card and use it with your phone. It only cost you around HK$0.3/min. Much cheaper than roaming.

If you wanna to buy it at HK International Airport, just go to 7-Eleven to buy it. Same price.

Alternative Live Rock

Small cozy bar offering free live music nightly, this unpretentious bar is a good hang out for live music fans. Local indie bands play on weekends, quality and style depends... try out your luck. Happy hour is generous: all day Monday, Tuesday to Thursday all day except 10pm to midnight, and Friday to Sunday all day except 9pm to 1am. It's not difficult to find long hair cool musician here, and you'll be surprised to find out that some of them are CEO of big companies in their day jobs!

The Wanch
Address: 54 Jaffe Rd, Wanchai, Hong Kong [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2861 1621
How to get there: Wanchai MTR exit C, turn left on Lockhart Road. Turn right on Fenwick Street (the 2nd traffic light). Turn left on Jaffe Road. About 5-10 mins walk from MTR.

Dancing - Electronics, Drum&Base, Breakz, Jungle...

Hide away in a backstreet between Lan Kwai Fong and Soho, Yumla is one of my favorite hangout place, possibly the coolest dance spot in town. The crowd and the music are the things that keep me going back. No pretention dress-up stuff, just good tunes and great people.

Drinks are on the pricey side, around HK$80/glass.

The door started charging covers lately, with a 'flexible' price, which is pretty much depends on how crowded is the dance floor, and how regular the customers are, and how well you know the bouncer. No entrance for flip flops or sandals, otherwise very casual.

Dance floor is very small, it's more like a bar setting than a club, but well, that's HK! You can hardly find big dance floor anyway.

Yumla
Address: Lower basement, 79 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong. [MAP]
Phone: +(852) 2174 2382
Opening Hours: Mon-Thur 5pm-2am, Fri-Sat 6pm-4am, closed Sunday. (dance crowd start coming in after midnight).

How to get there: Central MTR exit D1, turn right. Turn right on Queens Road Central. Turn left and cross the traffic light on D'Aguilar Street. Walk up hill and turn right on Wo On Lane (Ben & Jerry). At the end of Wo On Lane, there's a small park with a stairs on the left. Walk up the stairs, Yumla is on the left hand side ontop of the stairs.